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N- PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C FTE.

AUGUSTUS STONER, OF MOUNT JOY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAPPLING AND DREDGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,886, dated March 24:, 1857.

To all whom t may conce/m Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS SToNnR, of the borough of Mount Joy and county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine for Grappling and Dredging; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view, when set with the shovels spread ready for scooping; Fig. Q., the same having scooped, and ready or when being hoisted. Fig. 3, is a single miter shovel; Fig. 4, four of such-shovels forming a close box; Fig. 5, a single or double hook, which may be used to replace the shovels Figs. 3, 4; Fig. 6, a miter oysterrake, which like the bucket Fig. 13, can be adjusted, by means of the clevis, Fig. 7, fw, attached to each of the chains g, and the headed pin t, and screw and nut o, in the fulcrum bearers f, f', of the main ring B, Fig. 8. Fig. 9, is the connecting link of the chains g, passing through and supporting the arms A, at p. Fig. 10, the cross piece A, which supports the machine, as shown in Fig. l. Fig. 11, is a plan of the upper edge CZ, d, of the ring B, with the uprights (1; b, b, the lower edge with the fulcrum bearers f, f, placed intermediate to the uprights. Fig. 12, three different uprights that may be used; C', is rmly attached to the ring B, having a bent upper projecting point, s, adapted to the arms of the center piece A or A2 bent at right angles; C2, is an elbowed upright moving on the pin 2'., with a rod hinged at a, passing to a sliding ring K, attached thereto at 0. The ring K, is movable between two shoulders a?, on the main ring B, so that when the upward pressure of the cross piece A, by the weight of the apparatus, which it sustains, is removed the elbowed uprights fall and shift the ring K, in the direction of the dotted lines. To this ring K, a handle L is aliixed for setting up the uprights C2. O3, is another form, also attached to the ring, bent at right angles at the base and top s. Either of those uprights may be used, C3 to admit the cross piece A,

`to lodge on the ring, C2 to obviate the danger of the projecting point or nozzle S, to intercept the arms of the cross piece A, on operating the levers F, of the hooks or shovels; O3 is substituted when the cross piece A, Fig. 14, is used, which cross or center piece A2, isdished and lodges on the ring, so that the chains above cannot become entangled among the levers, by unnecessarily continuing to slacken the main rope after the machine is lodged.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

To a ring or other figure, of cast or wrought iron, I attach three four or more fulcrum bearers, f at base, over or intermediate between them on the top I attach by rivet or pin a corresponding number of uprights C', O2, or C3 as may be preferred. In4

the fulcrum bearers f, I suspend a niiter shovel, hook or bucket by means of the pin t, nut and screw o, Fig. 8. To each of these hooks, shovels or buckets I atiix a lever F, of sufficient weight at the inside end to elevate the hook or shovel, Sac., on the fulcrum pin t, of sufcient length to meet in the center, each lever, having a hole for the clevis pin y, Fig. 7, and is part thereof, of either hook or shovel. To four or more chains united to a single main chain or cable, in a ring or otherwise, I atlix the connecting links Fig. 9, and continue them on, to the lower end of each chain g. I affix a clevis, Fig. 7 for the recept-ion of the levers F; said links are at equal distance and support the cross piece A, Fig. 10, or A2, Fig. 14, by being passed through a hole for their reception, at p, thus Fig. 10 or 14 A or A2 is suspended in the chains or ropes g.

To operate the machine, the ends K, of the cross or center piece A or A2 are down under the nozzles S, or projections of the uprights C', C2 or O3, Fig. 12; then by any ordinary tackle, raising thc machine; `its entire weight is borne by the chains g, and cross piece A and thc levers drop, by their own weight, spreading out the hooks or shovels attached; thus set it can be lowered to any dept-h and so soon as the machine lodges, the pressure is removed from the cross piece A and points s, (which sustained the machine 'while in the air or water,) now drops and lodges on the ring. Upon again hoisting the machine the cross piece, either by coming with the arms K, over the levers F, or the drop, kneed upright C2 being down, with their' points s, resting on the ring, so that in either case, t-he chains g, now operate on their respective levers, causing the hooks, shovels or buckets to move inward to a common center on their respective fulcrum f, and firmly grasping and holding any rocks, stones, sand, mud or the like that may come in its Way. The Weight of the machine and its contents is noW sustained by the levers F, and can be so hoisted, and With a crane or otherwise lowered to Where the contents are to be lodged. All that is requisite to unload, is to let ythe boX or hooks lodge in the given place, again aflixing t-he cross piece to the supporters of the ring and its apparatus, and hoist themachine; the hooks or buckets Will readily now relinquish their holds, and deposit their load, and the levers drop and extend the hooks or shovels ready set for yanother diving operation, as this brings the apparatus again to its former position.

For all ordinary purposes the machine in its simplest form, as exhibited in Fig. 1, Will answer, so that the eXtra ring and kneed or elbowed supporters C2, Fig. 12, can be dispensed With, or the dished ring A2, Fig.

14, with its support C3. They may however be substituted, to guard against the possibility of entanglement of the chains and levers or arms of the cross piece with the nozzles or points of the supporters.

I do not claim the clevis, levers, hooks, &c., separately.

l/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as my invention, is-- The combination of the machine, the supporting and lever shifting cross piece A, the mitered shovels D, when combined in the manner as herein set forth, the ring B or its equivalent, to sustain the apparatus, and, chains so linked and constructed, to operate all the levers simultaneously and sustaining the cross piece A aforesaid, said combination being substantially in the manner, and for the purposes, as herein set forth.

AUGUSTUS STO-NER.

Witnesses JACOB STAUFFEP.,

C. M. MARTIN. 

